Give Me Insanity, or Give Me Death
by turtlekorn
Summary: A strange new evil threatens to take over the world. An evil that Zero knows all too well. Will he step up to the plate and defeat the one causing this chaos or will he give in to the madness? With his hot-headed Meister and his small gang of crazy ass friends, anything's possible. (OC STORY!) Rated "M" for really bad cussing and blood (maybe some sexual content later on.)
1. First Day of School with a Twist

**alright, so this is my first Soul Eater fanfic. forgive me if i get any of the technical shit messed up. i'm not gonna beg for reviews.**

**DISCLAIMER: i obviously don't own the Soul Eater, but i DO own the plot and characters.**

* * *

_So this is Death City, huh?_ A teenage boy named Zero stopped just outside the sprawling city limits and hitched his backpack up his shoulder. He was far away from his home back in Georgia. Not that he missed it over there, but he was starting to regret agreeing to attend the DWMA.

_Since when do I just_ agree _to go to school? I'm a drop-out for fuck's sake!_ Zero shoved his hands in the pockets of his dirty jeans and frowned, walking into the city. _At least the Academy won't be completely boring. How could it be, if you get to hunt corrupted souls? Hell, the tough part'll be trying to find a Meister._ His frown grew more pronounced, but he sighed and scratched the back of his head. _Better not think about that right now, or else I'll quit before I even set foot in the damned school._

Not one person, besides the white-blond youth, could be seen walking through the city. Zero stopped at a florist shop and looked down the alleyway beside it. Besides a few trash bins, it was empty. He set his backpack down against the brick wall. A slight shiver of nervousness threatened to shake him as he sat with his back against the wall. The first day of school was tomorrow, starting at 7 on the dot, and he didn't even know where this Death Weapon Meister Academy even was.

_Damn it. Guess I should find it first and crash nearby so I won't be completely late._ Zero slung his pack over one shoulder and started wandering around the city. When the grinning moon was at its highest point in the sky, he felt his body go slack and his green eyes widen at the sight before him. _Of course it'd be at the very heart of the city._ He thought dully.

The Academy was intimidating at night, but the boy couldn't tell what impressed and frightened him more, the structure itself or the long staircase leading up to the school. He sighed and threw himself down onto the ground right beside the staircase, falling asleep with his arms crossed over his chest almost immediately.

When he awoke, Zero saw that the drowsy sun had barely begun to rise. /Well, guess I should start climbing. /He thought tiredly and began the ascent to the legendary Death Weapon Meister Academy. As he climbed, he looked down at himself. His plain black tee was faded and ripped a bit on the shoulder from his run-in with a not-so-friendly dog a few weeks before, his jeans were in slightly worse condition, spotted with blood, and the soles of his sneakers were almost completely worn out. _Yeah, great first impression I'm gonna make. oh well._

When he finally got to the top, he had to catch his breath, sweat dripping off of his nose. He looked down the staircase and saw a few other early-birds making their way to the school. A pair of bright-haired girls struggled to get even halfway up. They both looked incredibly skinny and were complaining loudly about waking up "too damn early" and the seemingly endless climb to the top.

He rolled his eyes, too annoyed and tired to fully appreciate the up-close view of the Academy. Upon entering the school, Zero was met with a large sign indicating that all new students should follow the red arrows. He did as the sign said, dragging his feet in exasperation when he realized how big the DWMA really was. After about ten minutes, he finally reached an open door with six oversized arrows pointing at it. With a sigh, Zero walked through into the brightly lit classroom.

It was completely empty. With a shrug, he took a seat in the farthest corner of the large classroom and placed his bag on top of the desk. As time crept by him, other students began shuffling in nervously. Zero stared hard at his backpack.

A tall man with short ginger hair spiked up at the top entered the classroom with a box in his hand. "Morning, class!" He looked around at all the wide-eyed students. Some of the girls were giggling. The man looked young, maybe too young to be a teacher of any kind.

"My name is Professor Taylor. Now-"

"My name's Taylor!" A girl with dark red hair yelled, jumping up from her seat and blushing furiously. The boy beside her, who was also blushing, pulled the girl back into her seat.

Professor Taylor cleared his throat and straightened the collar of his gray dress shirt. "Right, uh, anyway, what I have here are name tags. You are to choose either a 'Meister' or 'Weapon' tag and write your name _legibly_ on the front. For today, we're just gonna pair up and discuss the fundamentals."

Groans followed from most of the boys in the class. Professor Taylor chuckled and opened the box. "Don't worry, guys, we'll be having weekly sparring lessons and such starting next week. Now, if you would please come on up and pick your tags. And remember, it's alright if you don't find a partner right away."

The class slowly made their way to the box, stealing a few glances at Professor Taylor, who sat behind the desk trying to look busy scribbling on a clipboard.

Zero noticed that a lot of the class looked much younger than him. _No shit, these kids are like, what, fourteen? I'm eighteen. Dammit._ He facepalmed as he went to the front to pick up a "Weapon" tag.

Some of the other students were already paired up and babbling, visibly relieved. Zero scratched his name on the tag with a chewed-up pen from his bag and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed. _This is gonna be a long ass day..._

_/ / / / /_

"Aw damn, I'm late!" A frizzy-haired girl burst out of her apartment with a breakfast burrito clutched in one hand. She hopped on her light gray bike and pedaled as fast as she could through the streets of Death City, almost running over several people and a dog.

She pressed on the brake handles, sliding across the street straight onto the steps that led to the Academy. Running as fast as she could with her mouth full, she burst into the school and ran in the direction that the red arrows pointed to.

She burst into the room, trying to chew her food and talk at the same time. "'Oory ah'm 'ate!"

"I hope this won't become a habit." Professor Taylor handed the girl the only name tag left. Lucky for her, it had "Meister" written on the front. She tried to act calm as she took the tag, despite the heat creeping up her tan-skinned face at the sight of the young teacher. _Damn, I can't afford to crush on the teacher! What if he's married?!_ She took a look around the class. Everyone seemed to be paired up already, there was even a few groups of three. A majority of the boys were gawking at her and she knew exactly why. She smirked and looked around. Her brown eyes landed on a boy with white-blond hair and a single piercing on his right eyebrow. His skin was tan, but not nearly as much as hers, and his eyes were a dull green. She noticed that the tag on his backpack indicated that he was a Weapon and his name was Zero.

_He doesn't look_ too _bad._ She shrugged and scribbled "Twist Hansen" on her own name tag.

/ / / / /

"Hey."

Zero looked up from the floor. A girl a year or so younger than him stood beside his desk with a small smile on her face. She had frizzy black hair held slightly in place with a pair of aviator goggles, brown eyes and skin, obvious curves and a well-developed chest. The white shirt and dark green cargo pants she wore clung tightly onto her skin.

_Fuck, please don't let this be the only person left! _Zero nodded at her in acknowledgement and continued to gaze at the floor.

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you, kid!" She slammed a hand against the desk beside him. He noticed that she wore black fingerless gloves and heavy tan work boots.

"Kid?" Zero snorted.

"What, are you eighteen already? You must be stupid or something, then, if you're just now entering the Academy." She put her hands on her hips. Zero glances at her name tag._ Twist, huh? She must have her panties in a permanent knot._

"Could you keep it down over there, Miss Hansen?" Professor Taylor called from the front of the class.

"Sorry, Professor!" Twist said a little breathlessly. Zero rolled his eyes, feeling just a tiny bit sorry for the guy._ Must be a pain in the ass to have all these chicks drooling over you like mindless zombies._

"So, you wanna be my Weapon or not?" Twist demanded. Zero shrugged. "Don't have a choice, do I?" _Great. Just fuckin' great._


	2. New Roomies and a Crazy Red-Head

**this chapter's gonna be a little... boring. sorry**

* * *

_**Ding-Dong-Dead-Dong!**_

_Finally!_ Zero rolled his eyes in relief.

"We'll be moving to a new room in a couple of days, kids, but for now, report here, got it?" Professor Taylor said, earning overly enthusiastic chorus of "Yes, Professor!" from the majority of the girls and even a handful of the boys. They filed out of the room in a cloud of excited chatter.

"You comin' or what?" Twist was at the door, waiting with her arms crossed. Zero raised an eyebrow._ Well she's obviously talking to me since everyone else is gone already. What's she up to?_ He followed her out, waiting until they were out in front of the school to ask.

"Where exactly are we going?"

Twist rolled her eyes. "To my apartment, dumbass."

"For what?" Zero suddenly felt quite stupid, like he missed the punchline to some universally hilarious joke.

"We're roomies now. Unless you'd rather sleep on the streets again."

He looked at his well-endowed Meister. _What if people get the wrong idea?_ He followed the girl, noticing that he was almost three inches shorter._ Damn it._

/ / / /

"Home sweet home!"

"_This_ is a home? Looks more like a pigsty." Zero muttered, looking around Twist's shoulder. Her apartment was average-sized, cluttered with papers, dirty paper plates, red plastic cups, empty CD cases, and various items of clothing.

"Hey, if you're gonna fuckin' complain, why don't_ you_ clean it?" Twist plopped down on the ripped sofa with a loud "hmph!" and kicked her boots off._ Dumbass thinks he can come in here and talk shit about my home? He's lucky I even considered letting him stay here!_ She crossed her arms as Zero entered the apartment hesitantly. The kitchen was separated from the living room by one of the two couches.

"So, partner, what's you're story?" She asked, sprawling on the couch. Zero sat on the very edge of the other sofa and shrugged. _Should've known it wouldn't be as easy as that. Maybe I should try and break the ice._

"My real name's Theodora, but Twist sounds _way_ better." She inspected her short nails. "I dropped out of the Academy when I was fifteen 'cause I didn't think I was good enough. And now here I am, two years later, one of the oldest freshman in the whole damn school. Besides you."

Zero blinked at her. His piercing flashed as he looked down at the dull carpet underneath his shoes.

"Where'd you get that?" Twist pointed to her eyebrow. She felt a twinge of jealousy. _I'd never be able to get anything like that. Momma would fuckin' kill me..._

"Georgia," the Weapon grunted, "when I was sixteen."

"Damn, your parents let you get it that young?" The jealousy grew more pronounced in her chest.

"No, my friend did it. Hurt like hell."

"Your folks must've been fuckin'pissed off, huh?"

Zero hesitated before answering. "They weren't pissed."

Twist raised an eyebrow, but the young man looked a bit uncomfortable, so she shrugged and let it be.

"So, uh, where do I put my stuff?"

She pointed to the small hallway behind her. "The last room on the left. My room's the first on the right, then there's the bathroom beside it if you wanna wash up." Zero nodded and went into his new room. Twist closed her eyes, wondering how long it'd take for the boy to warm up to her._ He'd better not try anything funny._ She thought as sleep quickly took her under.

/ / / /

Zero sat down on the small bed. His new room had even more clothes strewn around on the floor and even on the ceiling fan. He tried to keep his cool when he spotted all of the bras and lacy underwear. "Maybe I should clean this place up. Twist sure as fuck isn't gonna do it." He muttered to himself, almost falling off the edge of the bed as Twist's loud snores filled the air._ Of course..._ Zero rolled his eyes and scratched his head._ Guess I should start in here._

He found a laundry bin in the small closet in the bathroom and gingerly threw Twist's clothes in it. He worked quickly and once everything was picked up, Zero put the bin back where he got it. In his now empty room, he laid down on the carpet with his arms folded behind his head. Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear the knocking at the door over the snoring from the living room.

"TWIST! TWIIIIST, GET YOUR ASS UP, I HEARD THE NEWS!"

Zero heard his Meister groan. "Dammit, Andi!" The front door opened and Twist let out a choked "Air, I need air!"

"So where is he?! Is he cute? Single? Straight? C'mon, tell me!"

"Andi, will you shut up for two damn seconds! _Geez._ He's in there."

_Oh no._ Zero got up just as Andi rushed into his room. The burgundy-haired girl smiled widely at him. "Hi! I'm Andi Garrett," she thrust a hand at him, which he shook hesitantly. "Oooh, nice piercing! And your hair's really cool, too! You could use a new outfit, though," Andi tilted her head to one side and gasped, "SHOPPING, we have to go shopping for you C'MON!" She grabbed his hand and tugged him out to the living room. "TWIST, I'M STEALING YOUR WEAPON, OKAY? BYE!"

Twist jumped up from the couch, "Chill _out_, Andi, you're gonna traumatize the guy! Geez, did you have two cups of coffee this morning again?"

Andi raised her chin up defiantly, narrowing her light brown eyes. "And if I _did?_"

Twist just rolled her eyes and yanked her boots on. "Let's go."

Zero looked from his partner to the hyper red-head still clutching his hand, which had already started sweating. _Fucking shit, this girl's definitely gonna notice my hand's sweating and automatically think I dig her! _Andi half ran down the hallway of the apartment complex, Zero in tow, chattering about how jealous she was of his piercing and how she tried to pierce her cheek with a safety pin once but it got infected.

The burgundy-haired girl stopped abruptly at a store a few blocks away from Twist's apartment and pressed her nose against the glass. Twist did the same and Zero noticed just how short Andi was; the girl barely reached past Twist's shoulder.

"Are we going in or not?" He asked the two young women reluctantly. Twist yanked him into the store and his ears were immediately assaulted with booming techno music. _I hope I live to see another day._ He thought dramatically as Andi and Twist piled clothes into his arms and shoved him into a dressing room.

_~An Hour Later~_

"Thanks again, Mary!" Andi called to the store clerk as the three of then left. Twist had bought a pair of black and white high-top sneakers and a gray cap while Andi had bought practically the whole women's section of the store. Zero had two bags in his hand, secretly thankful and surprised that Andi insisted on paying for everything.

"Oh _shit!_ What time is it?!" She yelled just as Twist unlocked her apartment.

"7:22?" The frizzy-haired girl said with an eyebrow raised. Andi almost jumped a foot in the air. "_SHIT! I'M LATE FOR MY DATE!_" And with that, she bolted, almost tripping down the street.

"Damn it, she has_ another_ date? Chick needs to slow the fuck down..." Twist muttered as she entered her room. "Hey, Z, thanks for clearing up some of my clothes. I know it must've been weird. I guess _you're_ gonna be the housewife, huh?" She laughed, shutting the door behind her.

"Housewife my ass." Zero went to his room and threw himself onto the hard mattress._ Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought... But, then again, it could._


	3. A Burnin' for Learnin'

Zero woke with a start. His Meister's snores had pulled him from the beginnings of a nightmare, which he was momentarily grateful for. Until he shuffled into the living room and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

_6:37 AM._ He had only slept around four hours._ Shit, I got more sleep on a roll of piss-stained carpet, but there's no point in trying to get anymore._ He pulled on his new clothes and went to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. Yet another black tee, but this one had a white tribal dragon on the front. The shirt was short-sleeved, so he got a dark gray long-sleeved shirt to wear under it. Dark blue jeans, same grimy sneakers.

Zero shrugged._ I look pretty decent. Less street-ratish._ He glanced at his hair. It was a little too short to style, though it still stuck up in a few places._ Like anyone gives a shit anyways._ With a sigh, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. The only things inside were a box of cereal and a gallon of milk that was almost empty.

_You've gotta be shitting me..._ He shut the fridge and looked at the clock again Hesitantly, he went to Twist's bedroom door and knocked twice. "Hey, Twist? Uh, it's almost time to head out."

A loud groan. "What?"

Zero sighed. "It's-" he glanced back at the clock, "-6:45." He heard a few muffled bangs and quickly covered his eyes with his hand.

"DAMMIT!" She flung the door open and rushed past him to the bathroom. He went back into the living room. Twist was swearing at a steady pace, running in and out of the bathroom. "Let's go." She stomped to his side wearing a simple green tank and dark brown cargo shorts and grabbed his arm. He didn't have time to grab his bag.

At the Academy, Twist's mood seemed to take a nose-dive into a volcano as they climbed the steps. Zero kept at a safe distance of five steps behind the woman. _Should I ask her what's up? I kinda like having my face in one piece, though..._

"HEEEEY!"

Zero glanced over his shoulder; he and Twist were almost at the top. He could barely make out a small dark red dot at the bottom.

"A LITTLE HELP HERE!"

Zero glanced at Twist, who kept stomping on up to the school. _Why do I have to be such a nice guy?_ He sighed. Going down the stairs was much easier.

"You hollered?" He muttered as he got to Andi's slumped-over body.

"Yeah... I can't... My shoe..." She panted, clutching at her chest. Zero glanced at her foot and suppressed a loud sigh. One of the heels on her shoes was broken. "Who wears high-heeled shoes to school?" He asked dully as she threw an arm over his shoulders.

"I do! I have to look amazing every waking moment of my life, especially in school!"

_Oh great, she's one of _those_ girls._

"Just kidding, I just couldn't find my other shoes and I was in kind of a hurry." She smiled sheepishly.

"That makes three of us."

"Oh no, did Twist not get enough sleep again?"

"I don't know. She's cranky as fuck though." He shrugged.

"Yeah, it's either that ot she started her period early this month..." Andi tilted her head in thought.

Zero hoisted her up the last few steps and plopped down on the cobblestone floor._ Shit, she weighs more than she looks like._ He rubbed his back. Andi, who had flung her broken-heeled shoe off, stood beside him.

"Those clothes ended up looking badass on you after all, huh?" She smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile a bit back. "Anyway, thanks for helping me out, Z! I have to get to class, though, but I'll drop by your place after school, alright? Bye!" She hurried off into a stream of students going into the Academy.

My _place? That still sounds weird as fuck._ Zero got up and made his way to his own class.

"Alright, kiddies, who can tell me what a soul is?" Professor Taylor asked the class after he took attendance.

A few silent moments passed, wherein the class looked at each other questioningly. _Are these kids serious? Have they never read a damn book before?_ Zero inwardly sighed and raised his hand slowly.

"Go ahead, Mr. Zero!" Professor Taylor smiled encouragingly over at him.

"Uh, alright. A soul is the manifestation of a person's psyche, personality and abilities."

"_Correctomundo_, sir! And do you know what Soul Resonance is?"

Zero could feel his classmate's eyes on him. "Soul Resonance? Uh... it's a when a Meister and Weapon synchronize their wavelengths. Their synched wavelength can be used to perform highly powerful techniques that're unique to every Meister and Weapon pair."

"A bit textbook, Mr. Zero, but thanks for answering nonetheless!" The ginger-haired man pushed his desk against the chalkboards up front and stood in the center of the class. "I lied. We're going to be working on your Soul Resonance now._ However_, we're not going to be fighting. Just practicing." Professor Taylor said as several students immediately perked up. Zero sank into his chair as he glanced at his Meister, who had been glaring at the front of the class since the bell rang. _Something tells me that this isn't gonna go well..._

"Now, I'll call you guys up two pairs at a time. To Resonate successfully, you have to be calm and of one mind. Make sense?" There were a few nervous "Yes, sir"'s, which the Professor smiled at. "C'mon, guys, don't worry if you don't get it right the first few times. You just got paired up yesterday, so there's no pressure. Just come up here and give it your best shot!"

As his classmates went up front by fours, he slowly started to feel less nervous about Resonating._ At least I can fully transform; these kids can't even get fucking half an arm to change._ A few students managed to at least move the air around them as they tried valiantly to concentrate on breathing at the sane time as their partners. One girl hissed "Deeper breaths, dammit!" to her Weapon, who was a partially transformed war hammer.

Professor Taylor pointed at Zero and nodded. Twist took a deep breath and made her way to the front, Zero again five steps behind. He didn't need to ever attempt to Resonate to feel the waves of anger and, oddly, pain coming off of her. He raised an eyebrow, keeping his gaze on the floor. Twist was trying hard to breathe calmly as he stood beside her. When her head bobbed faintly, he exhaled and a bright gray light engulfed his body. He transformed fully into a five foot long, single-bladed battle axe.

Twist grabbed onto Zero's black metal staff, but immediately threw him down onto the floor. "Shit!" She looked at her hands, which had been burned. Zero transformed back to his human self and sat on the floor beside her, feeling the gazes of the class shift over to him again. Professor Taylor hurried over and inspected the damage.

"It isn't too serious, Twist, don't worry. That often happens with unsuccessful Resonating. If you want, though, you can go to the nurse's office." He looked at Zero, "That was pretty impressive! When did you learn how to transform completely if you've never been to the Academy?"

Zero felt uncomfortable in the sudden spotlight. "Uh, I just... taught myself, I guess." He got up and followed Twist out into the hallway. He felt guilty, though he knew it wasn't his fault. _I really hope she doesn't give me hell about this._

* * *

**i have a thing for battle axes, sorry.**


	4. Party? No Thanks

The nurse was smoothing out a blanket on one of the three small cots in the clinic when Twist and Zero stepped in. Twist immediately sat on the cot in the middle and held her hands out to the nurse.

"Can we hang around here for a bit, Momma?" Zero had to blink several times. Not because the nurse was apparently his Meister's mother, but because the two women looked almost like twins. He glanced at the small name tag on her white coat. Evelyn.

"Sure, honey, what happened?" The older woman glanced at Zero and he noticed that her eyes were green instead of brown like Twist's. "Is this your Weapon?" He leaned against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, that's Zero. We were trying to Resonate, but I couldn't concentrate." Twist pulled her gloves off and showed Evelyn the angry red welts on her palms.

"Nobody fully Resonates on their first try, Theo. You just need to practice, that's all." The older woman studied her daughter as she wrapped gauze around her hands. "Do you need some painkillers?"

Twist nodded. "And a... ya know..." She glanced uneasily at Zero.

"Do I need to step out or something?" He asked. Evelyn chuckled, walking to her desk and opening a drawer. She handed Twist a few pills and a strange little tube. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"It's a tampon, hon. Don't tell me you've never seen one." Evelyn looked amused by Zero's naivete. He felt his face heat up, mortified. "I won't tell you then." He managed to mutter, which made both mother and daughter to laugh. _Someone fucking kill me now._

"You and Theo are living together, right?" A small nod. "Then you're gonna be seeing a lot of these."

"I'll be right back." Twist said between laughs, shuffling over to a door behind her mother's desk.

Evelyn gazed at Zero for a long while. He kept his eyes on the floor._ Why's she staring at me? What the fuck does she see?_ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Evelyn frown. It was a small frown, one that could have been missed easily. But Zero was good at noticing those types of things. Just as Twist emerged, Evelyn rearranged her face into it's seemingly default smile. It was a practiced nurse's smile. Zero relaxed just slightly.

"It's almost time to head home." Twist looked back to her old self already; Zero couldn't tell if that was good or bad.

"Oh, you're right! Time sure flies. I'll let Professor Taylor know you two went home a bit early. Have you burned through you allowance yet, hon?"

Twist smiled sheepishly. "Maybe?"

Evelyn fished a few bills from her pockets. "This should be enough to at least buy a bit of groceries, alright? Now go on, you two!" She shooed them out of her office. Zero couldn't help but notice the way her gaze changed when she looked at him. He was lost in his thoughts as Twist muttered which stores would be best to visit for the best food.

"-and maybe we should get a box or two of sodas for the party."

"Party?" He all but panicked internally. Twist glanced at him over her shoulder. "Yeah, Z, _a party_. Andi's idea. A 'so we're all in school now' party, according to her. Of course, it's gonna be at_ our_ place. We're gonna have to clean up after everyone and there's a good chance that Andi's gonna invite Callum."

"Who's Callum?"_ Sounds like a douchebag to me._

"A friend. He gets sorta crazy at times; he's Andi's current slab of meat."

"Oh." Was all he could say. His mind was preoccupied with the party itself. Zero and parties tended to mix much like gasoline and a lit match; a complete disaster.

~Later That Day~

"They're gonna be like, half an hour late, just so you know, so there's no need to rush, Z."

Zero continued to straighten up the various food bowls at the small circular dining table in the corner of the kitchen. _Why me? Why? What have I done to deserve such a bullshit punishment?_ He could feel his gut twisting into anxious knots. He made sure to at least appear to know what he was doing.

Twist raised an eyebrow at him as he kept rearranging the food bowls, first by color and then by the food itself. "Lemme guess: parties aren't your thing."

Zero frowned and put the cheese puffs in front of the pretzels. "Is it that obvious?"

Twist chuckled and shook her head, "_Man,_ you're weird." She smacked him playfully on the back. "But then again, we're all pretty damn weird. Don't worry about it, Z, alright? All we ever do is sit around, eat, and talk shit." Twist shrugged and opened up a warm can of soda.

"Shit, you guys are _real_ fuckin' party animals, then, huh?" Zero muttered sarcastically. Twist threw back her head and laughed. "You bet your antisocial ass we are! You'll get to see firsthand if Andi manages to snag some booze!"

_And it just got worse._ Zero sighed, taking a few pretzels. He sat on the couch and looked around. The apartment looked almost unrecognizable; the carpet was actually visible and her had wiped the small coffee table down until his arm ached. Though he would never openly admit it, Zero was something of a clean freak.

"WE'RE HERE!" Andi's voice rang out and she burst through the door with a brown paper bag in her hand. Three other people followed her inside.

"Hey guys!" Twist fist-bumped the three strangers and hugged Andi tightly. She turned to Zero and smiled. "This is Zero."

He smiled weakly and raised a hand to wave half-heartedly.

"Zero, this is Fly, Callum and Aurai." Twist gestured at the newcomers.

Fly had a messy mop of mid-length dark green hair that faded to black at the ends and bright orange eyes. She wore a leather jacket, orange shirt and green pants, and black steel-toed boots. She smiled widely and shook Zero's hand.

Callum was a slightly burly teen. His light brown hair was slicked back with copious amounts of gel, his eyes were a teal-gray. He wore a leather jacket as well, though his was more form-fitting that Fly's. The shirt under it was green and had "Death City Robin Hood" written on the front in white graffiti letters. Callum shook Zero's hand a little tighter than necessary.

"Sorry, man." He let go of Zero's hand with a sheepish smile.

Aurai was a tall, slender woman who had a soothing vibe to her. Her skin was pale, as were her hair and eyes. Her hair was long, white-blond like Zero's, almost reaching her lower back and tied up in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were a pale blue with a ring of green around her iris. She wore a thin white sweater and light blue shorts with white flats. Aurai smiled gently at Zero and he immediately felt a wave a calm wash over him.

As they ate and sipped on soda, they started sharing embarrassing childhood stories (well, mostly Twist, Fly, Callum and Andi did). Zero almost choked on his soda when Twist told the story of how she got her head stuck in the doggy door of her childhood home chasing her pet cat around. According to her, Evelyn had used butter to loosen her head and then used that same butter to make that night's dinner.

Fly told a riveting tale of the first time she drank, at the age of twelve. She had vomited on her then-boyfriend's lap and then he did the same to her. They broke up a few weeks later, when she refused to do it again.

"Hey, guys, you wanna see the surprise I've got?" Andi shook the paper bag beside her feet with a smirk. She stuck a hand in and pulled out a bottle of scotch. The group immediately perked up and the bottle was passed around. Zero refused Fly's offer, mostly because of his slight fear of germs.

"Alright, who wants to play some party games?" Callum was already swaying in his seat.

"I'm game." Andi giggled at her little joke and Callum laughed loudly.

"TRUTH OR DARE!" Twist yelled, jumping up from the couch. She jabbed a finger in Aurai's direction. "Truth or dare, Nymphy?"

"Truth." She said with a smile.

"Is it true that you're not a virgin?"

Aurai didn't hesitate with her answer. "I'm_ seventeen_ years old, Twist, of course I'm not."

Callum and Twist almost choked on their drinks. Fly high-fived her friend, looking proud. "Damn, Ari, didn't know ya had it in you!"

_Damn. And here I thought there was still a bit of innocence in the world. Shouldn't be surprised though, I guess._ Zero scratched at his head.

"Hey, have you guys heard of those weird ass incidents in Georgia?" Callum dropped his voice dramatically.

"Yeah, all those simultaneous suicides? That's some heavy shit." Fly took yet another sip from the bottle, which was quickly running out.

"Zero's from Georgia, right, Z?" Twist looked at her partner. He felt his heart jump to his throat and drop down to his stomach._ Oh fuck..._

"What? You are?" Callum rounded on Zero. "You know somethin' about all that?"

"I might." He said carefully, quietly. Callum was up from the couch and in his face in a flash.

"What the fuck do you know?" The taller man asked threateningly. Twist threw an arm between them. "Hey, Cal, cool it. He's got nothing to do with any of that. Back the fuck off."

"Outta the way, Twist, let this bitch speak for himself."

"Cal, I'm fucking tellin' you t-"

"Twist, it's cool." Zero put a hand on his Meister's shoulder. He glared up at Callum with his jaw set. "Look, pretty boy, I'm gonna say this once, got it? I didn't do shit. I left before any of that shit went down. I don't know what's going on or why because I haven't been there in years. There isn't any reason to get your fuckin' panties in a bunch, alright?"

Callum narrowed his eyes and spun on his heel and picked up his drink. "I'm out." He slammed the front door behind him.

Fly got up and sighed. "I'd better go after him. Thanks, Twist. And it was nice meeting you, Z." She left without her drink, but took the pretzel bowl with her.

"I should go too, you guys. It's... getting late." Andi looked worried. She hugged Twist goodbye and Aurai followed her out with a small wave.

"Geez, Callum can be such a damn dick sometimes." Twist offered Zero the green bottle Andi brought. He wiped the moth of the bottle and downed the rest of the burning liquid in two gulps. She looked at him, half worried, half curious. "Truth or dare, Z?"

He sighed and sat on the floor, already knowing what she wanted to know. "You'd better sit down for this..."

* * *

**this took two days to write... oh, and in Greek mythology, aurai are the winged nymphs of the breezes, hence Twist's little "Nymphy" nickname. yeah. **

**i need to update my other stories... which'll probably take me, like, a fuckin' week or so. fuck. **


	5. Fear and a Good Effort

**i focused a ****_liiittle _****too much on the first part so the second part feels kinda... weird to me. but anyways, enjoy.**

**(on a side note, i noticed that i have lots of really dumb typos in the previous chapter and i wanna say that i'm REALLY sorry. i'm kinda bad at seeing those kinds of mistakes BEFORE i publish. i'll try to catch that shit from now on. and also, anything under this break "~/~/~" will be in Zero's point of view, but only for flashbacks/dreams. hope that doesn't confuse anyone.)**

* * *

Twist's steady gaze was strangely unnerving. Zero took a deep breath._ I've only known her for two fuckin' days and now I'm gonna put my heart on my sleeve? What if she talks? I'd be persecuted for damn sure... Maybe now's not the time. I had said I_ might_ know something, then I said I_ didn't_. Fuck, way to go dumbass._

The frizzy-haired Meister seemed to sense his unwillingness to say anything and reached over to put a bandaged hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Z. Right now's probably not the best time to open up like that. But you're gonna tell me what you know eventually." That last part she made sure to stress as a threat. Zero nodded, got up and headed to his room. "G'night," he muttered over his shoulder. Twist started cleaning up. "Night."

As he threw himself onto his bed, he couldn't stop the thoughts and memories from resurfacing. Sleep overtook him in record time and he plunged back into that space in his mind he tried hard to block out.

~/~/~

_It always started this way, in my old home back with Aunt Eli. I stand in the white-framed doorway, then I see her body right in the center of the living room. Her head's cut off, laying seven inches away from her body. There's blood everywhere. I can see seven deep gashes along her sides when I step inside. It always started this way. And then I turn around and see the one responsible holding a long machete in his hands._

_But something was different. It wasn't the gray eyed, shaggy haired guy I always see. It was me._

_"I wouldn't be so surprised, Zero."_

_Once that voice reached my ears, the scene evaporated and I was standing in front of the DWMA. I couldn't move my body, not even my eyes._

_"Zero. Hmph. And you thought that _Seven_ was a dumbass name. It suits you, though. You _are_ a zero. Nothing. Useless. How pathetic." He placed a hand on my shoulder. I can hear him laughing under his breath._

_"Are you wondering why I've brought you here?" He digs his nails into my shoulder. "I'll tell you. This grand structure, this cesspool, is the only thing standing in my way of taking over the world. I'm sure you've heard of those suicides back at home? _I_ did that. It was pretty damn hilarious. But of course, I wasn't satisfied. I want to spread my thinking, my _disease_ as everyone likes to call it. And I need _your_ help." He paused for dramatic effect. "You and I can enslave every single one of these fucks and make them do whatever we want. We can finally be on top after scraping the shit on the bottom for so long!" By this time, both of his hands were on me and clawing into my skin._

_"But you have to accept the insanity inside _yourself_ first." He pounded a fist against my chest. "It's in there, somewhere. After all, we're blood, right? Brothers til the end, no matter how far you try to run from it mentally or physically." He moved his hand up to my head. "You'll come and find me eventually, Zero. You'll succumb. Even the most sane of people break. They all fucking break and you're the _weakest_ of all. It's just a matter of time. But-" he turned my around by the shoulders so I could face him, "-you have to get your ass in gear. Because I don't want our first and final fight to be so one-sided, get it? Your Meister is quiet the looker, huh?" He said this disgustedly; that was one thing we shared, sort of, besides blood. "Get stronger, Zero, and then come find me. When you join me, I want you to be at least half on my level, understand? I don't accept weaklings." His eyes bored into mine and I felt a fear burn in my veins that I hadn't felt since the day he ate his first Human Soul._

_"See you soon, dear Brother." He pressed two fingers into my eyes slowly and I screamed._

~/~/~

Zero jolted upright from the floor. He raised a hand to his aching eyes. Warm blood coated his palm and he felt his breath freeze in his throat. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a few deep breaths and opened them again. The blood was gone. He fell back onto the floor, trembling._ S-shit... It was just a dream... But why am I shaking?_ Zero couldn't stop a shiver from running up his spine.

"Zero?" Twist's muffled voice came from behind the door. "You alright?"

He tried hard to keep his voice from quivering. "I'm okay, T, just fell off the bed. My bad."

Several tense seconds ticked by, but he finally heard her footsteps leave. Zero slowly calmed himself and lay on the floor until Twist knocked on his door and muttered a groggy "Mornin', Z". He didn't even know it was morning and he had been staring at the ceiling for who knows how long.

/ / / / /

The class and Professor Taylor were all watching her and Zero. The other pair at the opposite side of the room were sitting on the ground and watching as well. _Calm down, Theo, just breathe. You're gonna kick ass. You're gonna impress Professor Taylor and Momma will be proud. Yeah._ Twist felt Zero beside her and took a deep breath. They both stood still, matching their breaths.

"Alright, Z, I'm ready." Twist was completely calm. Her partner glowed and transformed. She held a hand out and clenched it around the staff. It was cool to the touch. Twist couldn't help the smile that spread on her face. _Hell yeah, let's do this!_ The air around them slowly started to swirl at Twist's feet. _I-I'm actually doing it!_ The excitement that welled up in her chest threw both Meister and Weapon off. Zero suddenly got hot and Twist immediately released her grip before her hands got burned again. The bandages still on her hands were lightly singed.

"That was really good!" Professor Taylor said as Zero changed back into a human. "Very good effort!"

They went back to their seats. Twist slumped into hers and heaved a sigh. _Good_ effort_? What a fuckin' bummer. Geez. It was better than last time, though. Guess it's not_ too_ bad._ She looked at Zero, who saw her looking at him and gave her a small smile. She couldn't help but notice that it didn't reach his eyes. She slowly started to feel a sick worry through their weak bond. _What's he worried about? That we'll fail or something?_ She looked back at her desk._ No, it's something else... but what? Maybe he'll tell me if I ask him..._

* * *

**kinda... short. the next chapter'll have a fight scene though. hopefully. maybe i'll be able to find a good song to go with it, too. **


	6. A Letter

**alright, so i couldn't find a good enough song to go with this chapter. but anyways. **

* * *

Professor Taylor was writing on the board the last twenty minutes of class when there was a few short raps on the door. He had a short whispered conversation with the tall, muscular man at the door.

Twist leaned over and tapped Zero on his arm. "That's Professor Briggs. He used to be in the military, but now he teaches combat and all that shit. He doesn't like teaching in classrooms."

"He looks like a fuckin' juicehead." He muttered back, looking at the man again. His muscles bulged under the thin military green shirt he wore.

Professor Taylor saw the two looking and waved them over. "You guys are gonna go with Mr. Briggs to see Lord Death. Come back here afterwards, yeah?" Twist nodded fervently. The two students walked silently behind Professor Briggs. Twist shot a questioning look at Zero, but he shrugged. He clenched his jaw._ Does Lord Death know about that nightmare?_

"You both look like you're gonna barf. Try not to get any on my boots, alright?" Briggs looked over his shoulder and locked gazes with Zero. His eyes were a slight lavender color._ Weird. I wonder if he ever got shit about that in his military days. _They stopped at a large door with a gold plaque that read "Death Room". Briggs opened the door and the three of them went inside. Zero couldn't help but gape at the guillotine entryway.

"Yo!" Lord Death stood in the center of a platform that floated slightly above the ground.

Zero and Twist both bowed. Briggs stepped onto the platform and stood rim-rod straight beside Lord Death.

"Briggs here is my current Death Scythe." He said as he saw the questioning look on Zero's face. _Briggs? A Death Scythe? Whoa._

"I suppose I should get straight to the matter at hand." Lord Death held an envelope in his big white hand. "This arrived here at the Academy around 4 o'clock this morning, delivered by a woman who claimed that it was urgent she see you. Briggs locked her up in the dungeons for questioning later today." He bounced forward and handed Zero the envelope. "I'd like you to read whatever is inside and tell me what you know."

Zero felt his heart seize. His mind raced, but the answer was obvious enough to him as he took the thin envelope from Lord Death and opened it. Inside, there was a handwritten letter, in a scrawl he knew all too well. The backwards R's and lower-case letters gave it away.

**_if you're Яeading this, that means melanie has done heЯ job. i assume loЯd death has locked heЯ up? that won't be necssaЯy; i've given heЯ veЯy specific oЯdeЯs, which you'll pЯobably heaЯ about if you don't witness it youЯself. anyway, zeЯo , i've taken time fЯom my INCЯEDIBLY busy schedule to wЯite you this because i'd like you to do something foЯ me. i'm suЯe you ЯemembeЯ what i said in DЯEAMLAND? i suggest you take all that shit to heaЯt and begin tЯaining as soon as possible._**

**_i imagine you'Яe wondeЯing what'll happen if you don't. and the answeЯ to that lies with that fucking hideous woman loЯd death is holding pЯisoneЯ. again, she has veЯy specific oЯdeЯs fЯom me of what to do once she's inteЯЯogated. i hope you'll be theЯe in the Яoom when she follows them._**

**_as always, bЯotheЯ, i'll be waiting. also, say hello to your meisteЯ foЯ me, hmm? i have a feeling that i'll meet heЯ in person soon enough._**

**_-7_**

Zero felt Twist shake him by the shoulders. He realized he had been very still.

"Soooo, what's it say?" Lord Death asked in his comical little voice.

Zero sighed and sat down on the ground beside his partner. "Seven is my brother. Blood brother. He said I have to become stronger for when we have our first and final battle. Those suicides in Georgia were on him." He took a deep breath. "I had left a few months before, right after I turned eighteen. I didn't want to be arrested or killed for a crime I didn't commit; we look a lot alike. He had eaten at least five Human Souls by the time I left, but I'm starting to get the idea that becoming a Kishin's too much work for him, so he's gonna try to make one. He wants to enslave the world. That woman in the dungeons is probably brainwashed; Big Bro always had a weird charm to him."

Lord Death tilted his head. "Hmm... Briggs? Is Joshua doing anything after class?"

Briggs nodded. "These two are to meet him, Lord Death."

"Very well, then, I'd like you to help him with that."

Briggs saluted stiffly. "Yes, sir!"

"Lord Death, uh, sir?" Zero stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Did you... read the letter beforehand?"

Shinigami put a hand to his mask and chuckled. "Well, yes, I might've taken a little peek when it arrived."

Zero frowned at the floor. _What's Death planning? This is bullshit, why can't Sev just face me _now_? Fuck, he's playing around me me. With everyone. I hope Death has an actual_ plan...

/ / / / /

"Since this is the first session, we're just gonna see where you two are at the moment. Come at me with the intention to kill."

"But Professor, where's your Weapon?" Twist asked, trying hard not to stare too long at the ginger-haired man. He had loosened his tie and dropped his thin green sweater on the ground beside him.

"I don't need one." He said with a smile as he carefully rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. She noticed he had a tattoo on his forearm of a black skeleton key.

"Then why is Professor Briggs here?" She felt her face heat up. _I fucking hate this! Why did I have to have a crush on the damn teacher?! This is unhealthy._

"To supervise." The other man grunted The four of them were standing in the school's training field.

"Alright, guys, you can start whenever."

Twist looked at her partner a bit uneasily. Zero smiled reassuringly and transformed. She took a deep breath, focusing on the light weight of the battle axe in her hands._ Let's do this shit._

With her grip tightened on her Weapon, Twist charged at her teacher full speed. She spun Zero around with one hand and swung the blade hard at the Professor's stomach, but he easily dodged by leaning backwards. Twist used the momentum of her swing to punch him straight in the jaw with her free hand.

"Nice one!" He wiped a hand against his mouth. "My turn."

"Twist, careful! Watch his hands!" Zero's voice rang from the axe. Twist felt her jaw drop. White static crackled around the Professor's hands. He put a hand just over Twist's, which made her blush and get flustered. With a smirk, the young teacher brought a hand up against her stomach. Twist was thrown back several feet and lost her grip of Zero.

"Damn it!" Twist jumped to her feet and clutched her stomach. Her face was still red and her heart was racing, but she couldn't exactly tell if it was because of the fight or the Professor himself.

Zero changed back and helped her up. "You alright?" She nodded and wiped the sweat from her brow. "What was that?"

"It's a technique called Soul Menace. I've only ever heard about it." The white-blond said. He looked over at teacher. "Pretty fucking impressive."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Professor Taylor jogged over, concerned. "Sorry, I didn't mean to throw you back that far."

"I-I'm fine, sir!" Twist jumped up. "I'd like to try again."

"Sure. But this time, let's see how you do against both Briggs and I. You two up for it?"

Twist glanced at Zero and then at Briggs, who had been standing just off of the field. "Ready when you are." She said as Zero transformed into his Weapon form yet again.

"Don't come cryin' to me if you get hurt, alright girly?" Briggs said gruffly, standing beside Professor Taylor. Twist's eyebrows furrowed. _Get a load of this sexist shithead._

Briggs glowed a slight purple color, like that of his eyes, and transformed into a machine gun twice as long as Professor Taylor's arm.

* * *

**yes, of course Briggs the asshole is a machine gun. very creative, no? (no.)**


	7. Even the Mind Isn't Safe

Twist jumped back right when Professor Taylor pulled the trigger. Briggs' laughter rang out from the gun as she kept jumping around the dirt field. Her blood boiled with frustration._ How in the fuckin' hell am I supposed to attack if he keeps shooting at me?! What the hell's he shooting at me anyway?_ She glanced at the ground._ There aren't any bullet shells anywhere._

"Briggs shoots compressed rounds of my soul wavelength." Process Taylor explained when he saw her puzzled expression. He managed to shoot Twist in the leg.

"Shit!" Horrified, she fell onto her back.

"T, calm down! They're not shooting bullets!" Zero appeared in the axe blade, looking exasperated. "He just fucking explained it to you."

Twist grabbed the axe and glared at her partner. "I don't see_ you _doing anything!" She felt something strange, like a tugging at the back of her mind. Her hearing suddenly went and for a few long seconds, all she could hear was an unfamiliar voice.

_**What a weakling...**_

She froze in the middle of getting up from the ground. _What the hell...?_

"Twist, are you alright?" Professor Taylor's voice brought her back. She straightened up and nodded. "I think we should stop for today. We'll continue tomorrow after school. Same place, got it?"

Zero changed back and frowned at his Meister. She looked back at him._ I'll tell you about it later. _She thought, hoping he'd get the message.

"Tomorrow, bring your big girl panties, Miss Hanson, will ya?" The gun in Professor Taylor's hand said in an obviously agitated tone. Twist glared at the gun and spun on her heel. "See you tomorrow." She muttered over her shoulder. As she and Zero headed back to their apartment, Twist felt that same odd sensation.

_**Your mind's a very empty place, Twist. I'm almost surprised.**_

_Who the hell are you?_ Twist demanded. She felt invaded._ Why the fuck are you doing in my head?_

_**Oh, you know, just getting a feel of who the real Twist Hanson is. You don't do a good job at pretending. Theodora, right? How cute. **_The voice mocked her.

A burning feeling of violation rose in her. She didn't know whether to vomit or scream, not that either choice would have helped.

_**I hate to cut our conversation short, Theo, but I have other pressing matters to attend to. But I'll back, don't worry your pretty little head about it, alright?**_

The tugging sensation disappeared. Twist didn't say a word, mentally or out loud. Her eyes stung and a feeling she thought she had gotten rid of came oozing into her mind.

She was afraid.

/ / / / /

"T, you okay?"

They were sitting in the living room. Zero looked at his Meister. He could read her face like a large-print book, but he still asked out of concern; her fear was clear in her eyes and the way her eyebrows were furrowed.

"I... I think someone was in my head..." She couldn't speak above a whisper.

Zero's hands clenched. _That soon, huh? Fuck. What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry my brother's a fucking psychotic, bloodthirsty shitface, but there's nothing I can do'? She won't take that very well... _Fuck_, why am I so bad at this shit?_ He frowned. "What did he say?" His voice was even, but he could feel himself getting angry.

Twist sighed and laid out on the couch with her eyes glued somewhere on the wall opposite her. She looked shaken, lost.

He felt a pang of pity and guilt. "You need anything?"

"Don't leave me alone." Was all she said before closing her eyes and falling asleep. He looked away from her, suddenly uncomfortable. _What kind of answer was that? She'll probably be able to tell if I leave just to go sleep in my room._ Zero could faintly sense her wavelength, which was trembling with fear. He sighed and leaned back in the smaller couch, listening to the hitched breathing of his partner and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

/ / / / /

The air was heavy. A woman stood in her small kitchen at the sink, almost elbow deep in warm soapy water. The air was heavy. She thought it was because the open windows around her house were letting in all the humidity of the early July evening. Her two roommates were out at an early Fourth of July party almost half an hour away, not that she minded.

There was a single, sharp knock on the front door. Before she could stand on her tip-toes to look through the little peep hole, the white door burst open, swinging hard into her face.

"What is goin' on he-" her heavy Southern accent was cut off by a hand squeezing around her throat.

"You're going to listen to me, Claudia, and you're going to follow my every word. Do you understand?" The voice was a bit raspy, controlled, but his gray eyes bored into hers with a mixture of such hatred and anger that she had to look away. Claudia nodded with a small whimper.

"Good." The man purred. "Now you're going to pick up that phone you have hanging in the kitchen and you're going to call your roommates to tell them you're going to visit your parents. Tell them your mother's arthritis is flaring up again."

Claudia stood there, blood on her face from her now broken nose, tears mixing with blood and beading sweat. She forced herself to nod again.

"Then you're going to bring that small little pistol you bought two months ago in case something like this would ever happen to you." The man, who couldn't have been more than twenty years old, smiled slightly at that. Like he was laughing at some long-forgotten joke. "Then you're going to /willingly/ come with me and accept a little job offer."

She trembled in his iron grasp. It took her several minutes to answer. She sucked in air through her mouth like a fish out of water. "I-I'll do it, I'll do it b-b-but you h-have to p-promise not... n-not to hurt m-my friends." Claudia gulped, her throat dry.

"Alright." He smirked. "I_ promise_. Now start dialing."

He shoved her roughly down the small hallway and into the kitchen. Fingers shaking, Claudia dialed her roommate. Annie and silently cursed when she heard that the other line was busy.

* * *

**bam.**


	8. Don't Have a Thing for Victims

**sorry for this being a short chapter, please don't kill me.**

* * *

"She's pretty vocal, huh?"

"Just drive, Jerry. I can tell what she does to you. Keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself."

"Sorry, boss."

The black Honda Civic raced down the old cracked asphalt, headlights off. Jerry knew the roads well enough, but he still made a few wrong turns. Seven knew almost every road, trail and highway in the state, but the only problem was that he didn't know how to drive. A fact that not many people knew, not even his current chauffeur.

They pulled up to an iron-wrought gate and into a long driveway that ended in front of an large, three-story brick house. Seven stepped out of the car to a few breathless words of welcome from the people whom he graciously opened up his home to.

Jerry narrowed his eyes as he closed the car door. He opened the trunk and threw the woman over his shoulders, which wasn't too hard. She was mostly dead weight because she had passed out.

"Take her into the Gray room."

He followed the slightly older man into the house. Seven went up the wide staircase directly across from the double front doors and Jerry headed down the small hallway beside it. There were three rooms in the hallway: one closet, a small bathroom and a bedroom, which was referred to as the Gray Room because the walls were painted a dark shade of gray and Seven found that blood looked a bit more appealing when splattered against them. The crimson really "popped".

"There ya go, hon." Jerry put the woman down into a wheelchair bolted to the carpeted floor. He buckled the restraints on her wrists and ankles, leaving the straps a little loose so they wouldn't cut into her skin much when she struggled. He sat and the floor and stared at Claudia. She was sweaty, face caked with blood, and her pale yellow summer dress was dirty. He sighed. All those years in high school trying to chase after this woman and all he had to really do was answer to a knife-happy dropout.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you actually _like_ this woman."

Jerry jumped at the quiet voice behind him. He hadn't heard the door open. "U-uh yeah, good thing you know better!" Jerry chuckled nervously.

"Does it go beyond lust?"

Jerry blinked. "Huh?"

"I mean, she isn't just something you want to _fuck_ and then dump onto the streets afterward?" Seven raised an eyebrow at his old high school acquaintance. They were never close, in any sense, but Seven knew about Jerry's explosive temper and he figured he could use that for his own purposes.

"I'd like to fuck her, sure."

A blade flashed against Jerry's throat. "Just because I've known you a bit longer than anyone else around here doesn't mean I won't fucking _kill you_ without a second thought if you touch her or even _attempt_ to slip that dress off of her." Seven glared at the blond-haired man.

"Geez, chill the fuck out. How the fuck was I supposed to know that you have a thing for her, too?"

Seven smirked. "I don't have a_ thing_ for her, you stupid fucking bastard. I'd just rather not have my house reek of sex."

"Alright, alright! Damn, I won't do anything, okay?" Jerry gulped as the blade was pressed harder against the stubble on his neck.

"Alright. Now get out."


	9. Separation Anxiety

**another slightly short chapter. sorry**

* * *

Zero's eyes flung open as the sound of someone's fists pounding on the apartment door broke the silence. He had been on the verge of sleep and he was almost grateful to whoever was visiting at 2:12 in the morning.

That was until he opened the door and was face-to-face with Evelyn Hanson.

"Where is she?" Her eyes narrowed down at him. He side-stepped and the woman bustled in, hands fluttering over her daughter's sleeping body on the couch.

"What did you do to my baby?" Evelyn demanded.

"What did I d- I didn't do anything, Mrs. Hansen!" Zero frowned at the nurse, who didn't bother to hide the suspicion from her face.

"I'm so sure." She muttered venomously, placing a hand gently on Twist's forehead. "Theo, honey? Come on, wake up."

Zero took his seat again on the other couch as Twist looked around groggily. "Momma? What're you-"

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here to take you back home."

"But... this_ is_ my house, Momma."

Evelyn smiled slightly. "No, Theo, I mean I'm taking you back to _our_ house."

"For what?"

The older woman locked gazes with Zero again. "You're not safe here."

Twist opened her mouth to protest, but her mother grabbed her by the wrist and started to drag her out of the still-open door. She looked frantically at her Weapon, who stood by the wall helplessly. Evelyn gripped the doorknob tightly. "I don't want you going near my daughter again, you hear me?" Her voice was leveled, but there was a ferocity just behind the warning that Zero couldn't ignore. She slammed the door behind her, trying to calm her daughter's loud protests as they walked away.

He glared at the carpet beneath his feet._ Why the fuck didn't I do anything? She's my Meister! How the fuck're we supposed to keep going to the Academy if I can't go near her? Fuck._ He slumped down the wall. _Fuck!_

/ / / / /

"Momma, let me go!"

"I'm just doing what's best for you, Theodora!"

"By separating me from my Weapon? What's wrong with him, Momma, what did you see?"

They stood in the living room that Evelyn decorated heavily with pictures of her only daughter. Normally, Twist would have felt thoroughly embarrassed, but she was still shaken from the mental encounter and the fact that she was literally dragged back home by her mother was so aggravating that she couldn't feel mortified.

Evelyn, like many other Meisters, had the Soul Perception ability, which lets them see or feel other people's souls. Twist didn't have the ability, but her judgement of character hadn't failed her yet.

"His soul isn't right, honey, he's got something evil inside him." Evelyn sipped at a mug of coffee, brows furrowing.

"What do you mean?" _I haven't known him for that long, hell barely a month, but Z doesn't look like he's evil... right?_

"I mean what I said. He may not really look like it, but that boy is nothing but trouble; I can see that without Soul Perception."

Twist frowned. "Well what am I supposed to do now, without a Weapon?"

Her mother waved a hand dismissively, scoffing slightly. "Please, baby, it's still the beginning of school so there's plenty of other Weapons out there for you."

Twist stormed towards the front door, but her mother blocked her way, coffee still in hand. "Look, Theo, I know you're upset, alright? But at least spend a day here and then you can go back to your apartment. Sound like a deal?"

Twist glared at her mother. "Whatever." She went upstairs to her old room and slammed the door.

"_Just like old times._" Evelyn couldn't help but smile as she took another sip from her cup.


	10. A Little Talk (part one)

**now that i've got one completed story under my belt, i can pay more attention to this story. and my other one. **

* * *

The door creaked quietly. She was unconscious. Heart pounding, he couldn't help but stare for a few moments. His hand struggled with the ropes around her hands. His knife almost cut her.

"_Shit._"

The rope fell to the floor and she woke up with a start. "What the-"

"_Shh!_" Jerry grabbed the woman and threw her over his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of some faint scars on her legs, clearly self-inflicted. He scoffed.

"Where exactly are you going?"

Jerry almost bumped into Seven, who had appeared in the doorway seemingly from thin air. Jerry brandished the knife in his hands stupidly. "I want to free her." He said defiantly, raising his chin up at the slightly shorter man.

"_Free _her? Why?" Seven raised an eyebrow.

"Because I really like her."

"Put me down!" Claudia pounded her fists against his back. Jerry flinched, but hitched her up more securely on his shoulder. Seven couldn't help be be disgusted by the fact that Claudia's rear was almost in his own face.

"If you like her so much, kill her." Seven smirked at the dumbfounded expression on Jerry's face.

Jerry rammed his other shoulder into Seven's stomach and ran down the hallway out into the muggy early morning air. He quickly dumped the woman into the passenger seat and jumped into the driver's side. He fished the keys from his pocket, frantically looking over his shoulder. Jerry threw the car in drive and the tires squealed down the long driveway. Before they even got to the gate, they both heard gunshots and the car jolted. The tires had been shot.

"Claudia, get out of the car." Jerry said firmly, breathing heavily.

The woman looked at her former lover with wide eyes. "W-what do y-"

"_GO, GODDAMMIT!_" He pounded the palms of his hands on the steering wheel. "Go. I wish I could keep you, but I can't. Not with that bastard around."

She almost stayed. Something in her chest fluttered as she stared at Jerry, but her survival instincts were screaming at her. She pushed the door open and stumbled out, running past the gate and to the street. She heard another few gunshots and fell. It took several seconds for the pain to register. Claudia saw the blood running down her leg and screamed.

"Claudia!" Jerry tried crawling down the driveway to her, but then Seven came up behind him.

"You're more stupid than I thought." He said as he grabbed Jerry by the hair and pressed the gun barrel against his right temple. Jerry stared at Claudia, who couldn't bring herself to look away even if she wanted to. He smiled weakly at her and opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly silenced by a bullet through his head.

"Oh, Claudia. You should learn how to say no." Seven sighed and moved towards her. She tried to get to her feet, but pain ripped through her body and she slumped to the ground with hot tears streaming down her face. Seven put the gun in its holster at his hip and picked the woman up bridal style.

"You stay here, I'll deal with you after I check on my brother." He tied Claudia back into her chair in the Gray Room and locked the door behind him. He went upstairs and went into his room. It was spacious, but empty of much furniture. The walls were lined with shelves with different objects the man collected. Medicine bottles, psychology textbooks, knives and old medical equipment. His bed was fairly small and the only other things in the room were a long desk, an antique armchair and a wooden trunk in the corner by the bathroom.

A cat the size of a medium-sized dog lay atop his bed, staring right at him with its large cobalt blue eyes. It swished its long tail around in the air above it's head.

"Good morning, Lanius." Seven said with a nod.

_Now, now, what have I told you about the formalities, Gehenna?_

"I'm sorry. Azure doesn't sound any better, if I may say." Seven almost smiled. "And I still don't understand why you call me that either."

_You know what it means, yet you don't understand why it fits you? Seven just seems so... childlike. Too human._

"I see. I suppose I can get over it, then."

The cat stretched out and yawned. Azure had short yellowish horns on its head right beside its large ears. Its fur was dark gray, except on its face where the fur was a few shades lighter.

"I want to speak to my brother." Seven sat on the edge of his bed and stroked the cat's back.

_I can tell you with much certainty that Zero is in somewhat of a stupor at the moment._

"Good." Seven smirked. Azure faced the shaggy-haired man and stared at him. Seven was used to the tugging sensation in his head by now. He could tell his brother was sleeping and his smirk grew wider.

_**Melanie is waiting, Zero. If you don't go speak with her within the next three days, you'll greatly regret it. She really wants to see you, you know.**_

/ / / / /

Zero jolted awake, clutching at his chest. It had been so silent that his brother's voice, though relatively quiet, startled him.  
_What do you want now, bastard?_ He asked wearily. _Haven't you done enough?_

_**Giving up already, dear brother? What happened to that ferocity you had since birth? No smartass remark? You're no fun.**_

_I'm tired._ Zero rubbed his head, which was starting to ache._ I'm tired of your bullshit, Sev. Should've killed me when you had the chance._

_**Ah, that's where you're wrong. I need you, Zero.**_

_Do you realize how fucking retarded you sound right now?_ He was starting to get mad. _You don't need me, you never needed _anyone_. For _anything!_ So go fuck yourself!_

**_Aw, c'mon Bro, don't be like that. I really do need you. But you have to follow my instructions._**

_Go away._

_**Oh, Zero. Poor naive little Zero. I'm never going away. If we have anything in common, it's our insanity. Everyone knows that.**_

_Bullshit!_ Zero grabbed a handful of his hair and gritted his teeth.

_**Don't tell me you don't feel it, Ro. Even a little. It's there, you just need to embrace it. Let it consume you. I can help.**_

Zero's mind was racing. His hands shook. He needed out.

_**What're you gonna do, Ro, cut yourself? How long has it been, three years? The last time you wanted to run from what you are. But you have nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. You'd be stupid to try again.**_

_I kinda envy you, Sev._ Zero sighed. _I wouldn't mind being numb all the time like you._

_**And that makes me better than you, Zero. But you can be a close second.**_

_Fuck off._

_**Think about what I've said, Brother. Go see Melanie first and we'll go from there. Your Meister is doing well, if you really must know.**_

The connection left. Of course Zero would think about what he said. How could he not?

* * *

**i noticed that i can never write the cuts the same length. oh well. in Latin, ****_lanius _****means butcher and **_**Gehenna **_**is basically Hell. and something else, but i don't remember. **


	11. A Little Talk (part almost two)

**been a while, sorry. some shit came up (what a surprise).**

* * *

Twist sat in Professor Taylor's class alone, tired and not completely there. She was two hours early. The only other person she had seen was Briggs, who had looked at her almost pitifully. Maybe he knows what happened. She wondered halfheartedly.

"Twist?"

She looked up from her desk, straight into the eyes of Joshua Taylor. He crouched down in front of her desk and folded his arms on top of the pencil-smeared surface. Twist couldn't help but notice with a furious blush that their arms were almost touching.

"You look hella tired, Twist, what's up?"

She rubbed her forehead. "N-nothing's up, Professor."

He raised his eyebrow. "Really? Doesn't seem that way to me." He sighed after a few silent moments. "Lord Death told me what happened."

"...I want to believe Momma but... I don't... want to." Twist furrowed her eyebrows. _Or do I? Is that why I feel like it's wrong? Because it's actually true?_

"If you really want to know, why don't you ask Zero for yourself?" Professor Taylor asked quietly.

Twist let out a breath. "Momma would flip her shit."

"I'll ask for you, then." He looked at his black leather watch. "I doubt he's coming to school anyway."

"Really, Professor? You'd do that for me?" Twist felt herself smile and it felt strange.

"You're my student after all, and I have to help out my students with any troubles they have!" Joshua got up and flashed a smile of his own. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Professor." Twist froze and her face was close to bursting into flames as her teacher placed a hand on hers and squeezed just slightly. He was gone before she could fully react. She sat there, face almost as red as the blood rushing under her skin. She raised her hand to her chest and breathed out slowly.

_Damn, I got it bad, don't I? Now I'm one of those girls. Goddamn!_

/ / / / /

There was a single knock at the door. Zero didn't bother lifting his head from where he was sitting on the couch. His mind was a tangle of thoughts that refused to be strung together into something coherent.

"Zero?"

_...That's not Twist's voice..._ It took him several long seconds for it to click._ Professor Taylor?_ He looked down at his arms. Fresh cuts of varying depth lined the skin of his left arm and a few still bled on his right. _Can't let him see these..._ Zero quickly slunk into his room and pulled his hoodie on, wincing as the fabric brushed against the wounds.

"What can I do for you, Professor?" He said calmly as he opened the door.

"Do you have a minute?"

Zero stepped aside and nodded silently. Professor Taylor sat on the couch Twist usually occupied. "You know why I'm here, I assume?"

"Look, Professor, I-"

"Joshua."

Zero halfheartedly raised his pierced eyebrow, "Right, uh, Joshua. I didn't do anything to cause this. Mrs. Hanson probably just-"

"Do you know what Soul Perception is?" Joshua's gaze fixated on Zero, who almost took offense to the young teacher's question.

"Do you honestly think I'm _that_ much of a dumbass?"

"Evelyn's Soul Perception is one of the best in the world," Joshua slicked back his hair with a small sigh, "if she sensed something bad, then it's a_ big_ fuckin' deal."

"Great. So what the hell should I do now?" Zero felt annoyed. At what, he couldn't pinpoint.

"I'm not one to sit around and spew shit all day, so if you really want to know what I think, brace yourself."

Zero stared at the floor. "What is it?"

"Do what Seven told you to do." Came the gruff reply.

Zero's gaze snapped up, burning with restrained anger. "I don't know who the _fuck_ you think you are-"

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Mr. Zero." Joshua said firmly. "I'll arrange it with Lord Death so that you can see this Melanie woman. But you have to actually go and see her, got it?"

Zero glared back at the floor. "Yes, sir."

Professor Taylor's gaze softened slightly. "You know, Twist is pretty messed up about this."

_Thanks for making me feel better, jackass. _

Joshua got up and opened the door. "Tomorrow, right after school. I'll meet you in the dungeons." And with that, he closed the door behind him.


	12. A Little Talk (part still almost two)

**the official song for this chapter (actually, just the first italicized part) is **_**Interlude with Ludes - Them Crooked Vultures**_** and then for the actual slashed cut, the song is**_** Blotter - Stone Sour.**_

**sorry if the timing of the songs are fucked with the chapter. i actually tried. (PS: you don't NEED to read the Spanish towards the end; you can skip it and just go on. i translated it at the end of the chapter. you're welcome!)**

* * *

_"We're almost there, Zero, but I've been told that only you can enter the cell. I'll be right outside." Professor Taylor stops and looks over his shoulder at me. "Don't do anything stupid, alright?"_

_"Sure." We walk for another few minutes and come upon a large metal door that takes up most of the stone wall. There's a small slot in the middle of it and four large sliding locks line the right side._

_"She's restrained." Joshua says as he unlocks the door and opens it with a small grunt. He gives me a small nod. My mouth goes dry as I step nside the cell. A lantern had been placed on the floor and lit beforehand and a small stool is set beside it. I look at the figure sitting against the wall, arms chained up to the stone. The woman's long wispy hair is covering her face, so all I can see is the dirty white scrubs that hang loosely from her limp body._

_"I've been waiting, Zero." Before I can react, the chains rattle and she's standing in my face, smiling widely as her small hands grip around my throat._

_"Now I can show you how much your brother loves you!" She whispers urgently in my ear, reaching up her shirt and jabbing me in my side with a small, makeshift shank. __"A brother's love is forever!" Another stab. "I really love your brother, too." She puts her free hand against the wounds and wipes my blood on her face. "Love, love, love!" Her wide blue eyes look almost white in the light of the lantern. "I know he doesn't want me." She smiles._

_Gritting my teeth, I pull an arm back to punch Melanie, but she quickly grabs me by the wrist and pins me to the ground. "Shh, did you hear something?" Her head whirls to the side and then she quickly drops her head onto my chest. "Oh. It's just your heart!"_

_I change my arm into my axe blade and swipe at Melanie's face. Blood spatters onto me and she smiles again. "I'm bleeding," She mutters quietly. "But that's okaaaay!"_

_"Get offa me!" I punch Melanie in the gut. Saliva spills from her open mouth. I slash at her again and kick her in the chest. She staggers back, but lunges at me and we both tumble to the ground again. "Maybe you'll catch my crazy, huh?" She spits in her hand and covers my mouth with her palm._

_"He's got plans, Zero." She pants, sitting on me with her legs straddling my waist. "But he needs you."_

_"Fuck you!" I try to use his my again, but Melanie takes her shank and stabs me in the forearm, causing my hand to transform back to normal._

_"Maybe later, hmm?" She smirks. "But anyway, like I was saying, Seven really needs your help annnd I'm gonna help you help him, alright?" A smile twists her face again. "All you gotta do is go back to your old house and he'll meet you there!" _

_"What the fuck're you talking about?!" I see a flash of a blade and feel warmth spread onto my face and neck. It takes me a few seconds to realize that I had chopped the woman's head right off of her shoulders and I'm now covered almost completely with blood. I wait for some kind of shock or disgust to make its way to my brain, but all I can feel is a strange feeling of giddiness. A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth._

That... was kinda... fun..._ I get up from the stone floor, pushing the body off of me, and make my way to the door in a daze. _That felt... good..._  
_

~/~/~

Sweat dripped off of his forehead as he jolted awake, shaking and breathing as if he had run a race. Zero stared at his hands. They tingled, he could almost see the blood dripping onto his bed sheets. _D-did I really... no... No, I couldn't have..._ He ran a hand through his hair. _Fuck, I thought I was over those nightmares..._

Slowly, he got out of bed and glanced over at the clock before going into the bathroom. _4:11 in the morning; good time to take a shower, right?_ Zero didn't bother taking anything off, he just sat in the tub and turned the cold water on; his clothes stuck to his skin with sweat anyway. As the freezing water soaked through, he replayed the dream in his head over and over. When he finally realized that he was shaking again, he couldn't tell if it was because of the nightmare or the water.

_What now?_ A question he seemed to ask himself a lot. He quickly changed into dry clothes and slipped his hoodie on, standing indecisively in the living room. _Oh wait,_ Zero glanced at the clock. 5:32_. I have to wait til school's over... But I gotta get outta this apartment for a while._ Backpack in hand, he stepped out into the warm morning and let his mind wander as his legs carried him without much conscious thought.

/ / / / /

Seven made his way to the isolated room down the hall from his. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced, having pulled an all-nighter yet again. He turned the knob of the black-painted door and stepped in. "Morning, Violet."

The woman in the large room opened her bright brown eyes at the sound of Seven's quiet voice. He spoke in a hushed tone that he only used around her. She was special.

"Sleep well?" He crossed the hardwood floor and sat on her bed, slowly bringing a hand up to touch her face. She swatted his hand away.

"I want to leave," She said for the millionth time. Seven smiled softly and took her hand in his. "You know damn well you can't, Violet. I can't let you."

She flinched as he gently squeezed her hand.

"I sometimes wonder why I scare you so much," he mutters, mostly to himself. His eyes burn into hers and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. "But it doesn't matter, does it?" He brought her hand up to his own face and she felt warmth, which almost startled her; she always imagined him to be cold as ice.

Seven tightened his grip suddenly and clasped both of her wrists in his hand. He slowly put his weight over her, forcing her to lay down on the plush bed.

"You know, it's almost funny." His heart raced and the blood in his veins started to boil, but with something other than the usual anger and disgust he usually felt. Only Violet could drive him this close to the edge of what he was hesitant to call lust. "I knew you before you were Violet. Back then, you were Rezar. Such a strange name for a little girl, hmm?"

Violet couldn't move. The sound of her old name sounded so strange, especially coming Seven. Her first kiss, her first almost everything. Except, of course, he wasn't the one who ever explored her.

"Rezar. To pray. Do you still pray, Violet?"

"Sometimes." She hated how weak her voice sounded.

Seven lowered his face so that their noses almost touched. "Pray aloud for me. Like you used to."

She swallowed hard and started muttering the first one that popped in her head.

_"Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo_  
_santificado sea tu nombre,_  
_venga a nosotros tu reino,_  
_hágase tu voluntad_  
_aquí en la tierra como en el cielo._

_Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día,_  
_perdona nuestras ofensas_  
_así como nosotros perdonamos_  
_a los que nos ofenden_  
_y no nos dejes caer en tentación;_  
_más líbranos del mal. Amén."_

Seven had been staring at her, never breaking eye contact. A slow smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "I can't believe you remembered all that. Do you believe in it at all?"

"Yes. And no." Violet felt her eyes prickle. "My faith was shaken the moment you brought me here."

"Ah, no, that's not right," Seven smirked then, "_you_ pranced onto my doorstep on your _own,_ Vi."

The tears flowed freely as he slowly inched closer. His mouth almost touched hers and she realized that she wanted him to close the distance. She felt disgusted with herself and turned her head to the side.

"Remember when you said that you loved me and I didn't say anything back?" He whispered in her ear, making her shiver under him. She didn't realize how that tremor that racked her bones made his blood boil hotter.

"How could I forget?" Her voice shook.

"I still don't." He smirked wider as her face crumpled up. "The only thing I love is _this_!"

She didn't even see the ten-inch blade slice straight into her stomach. Blood spread onto her plain blue shirt and the sheets under her.

"If you see God or whatever, tell Him I said He's fucked up." Seven put his weight onto the knife and drove it down, feeling the hilt start to sink in her flesh. His blood and heart raced furiously, a heat flooded his body and he giggled as she finally went limp. Panting, he was relieved to notice that his excitement hadn't gone_ that_ far as he glanced down at himself. His dark gray dress shirt and navy jeans were bloodied.

Azure padded through the closed door behind Seven and leaped onto the bed, baring its teeth in a wide feline smile. _**Did you ever love her, Gehenna?**_

"Of course I didn't."

* * *

**lots of shit goin on, yup i know. shout out to Damian, my trusted not-brother, for being cool. **

**(if you need all that Spanish translated, here it is:**

_**Our Father, who art in heaven**_  
_**hallowed be your name,**_  
_**Thy kingdom**_  
_**Thy will be done**_  
_**here on earth as in heaven.**_

_**Give us today our daily bread,**_  
_**forgive us our trespasses**_  
_**as we forgive**_  
_**those who trespass against us**_  
_**And lead us not into temptation;**_  
_**but deliver us from evil. Amen.)**_

**next chapter, we'll be in the dungeons with Melanie.**


	13. A Little Talk (part actually two)

The dungeons were just as dank and eerie as Zero had thought. After wandering aimlessly through Death City all day in the heat, the stone around him cooled the sweat from his face. Or maybe that was the cold sweat of the fear that had suddenly oozed into him as he waited for Professor Taylor.

"I figured you'd still be in your apartment, sorry." The ginger said as he arrived.

"Had to clear my head." Zero pulled the sleeves further down his arms, almost covering his sweaty hands.

"Shall we get going, then?"

Joshua led his student, who was still trying to swallow the fear that had made his mouth dry, down deep below the Academy with the relaxed air of someone taking a leisurely stroll._ What's this guy's deal?_ Zero scratched at his arm and hissed as his wounds seared. _How could I forget? I'm too busy trying not to fucking puke..._

It seemed like two lifetimes had passed by Zero when they finally stopped. His heart skipped several beats; the door they were facing was exactly like the one from his dream._ I hope it wasn't one of those premonition dreams._

"I set up a chair for you and a lantern. As soon as you're done, Briggs will come down here and dispose of her." Joshua looked over his shoulder at Zero and smiled reassuringly. It didn't reach his eyes, however._ Fucking shit... I've gotta calm down..._ He noticed that his hands were shaking and he was breathing a bit harder than normal. His heart hammered in his chest to the point where it actually hurt._ I'm a damn mess. Can't let the bitch see that, though._

"Ready?" Professor Taylor placed a hand gently on Zero's shoulder and frowned when the boy flinched. "We don't have to do this right this seco-"

"Yeah, I do." Zero shrugged off the older man's hand and stepped forward, sounding a little colder than he intended. "If you would do the honors, prof."

The ginger-haired man sighed and unlocked the door. A blast of warm air escaped from the opening door like a bored sigh. Zero ground his teeth together and stepped inside, almost whirling back around when the heavy metal door closed behind him. The chair was in the center of the room and a small lantern was placed on the wall, throwing the cell into a strange array of shadows that made Zero go cross-eyed._ Damn, this is already worse than my dream._

"Oh, look. Company."

He turned his eyes to the figure on the floor a few feet away. She had sleek bobbed haircut and was wearing a sequined shirt and dark shorts, both of which struck Zero as odd. _She looks like a cheap whore, not a prisoner..._

"Should we start right off the bat, or did you want to break the ice a bit, hon?" She straightened up and sat cross-legged, hands resting on the stone floor under her. Zero noticed that there were shackles around her hands and the heavy chains scraped against the floor when she moved.

"Just do whatever the fuck that shithead told you to do. I'm not here to talk about the fuckin' weather." Zero stood beside the chair with his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans, fists clenched. His backpack felt a thousand tons heavier on his back.

"A little _tense_, aren't we?" Melanie looked up at him, eyes flashing in the lantern's dim light, smiling softly as if he were an old friend. Her grin widened as he glared at her. "You know, you look just like Sev when you look at me like that."

Zero froze. "I'm _nothing_ like that godda-"

"Anyway, I think it'd be best if I say what I must, before you blow a cute little fuse, hmm?" She rested a hand under her chin. "Seven wants you to get stronger. You already know that, right?"

Zero nodded tensely.

"Well, what you're doing now won't cut it. This training you're supposedly going through is just a waste of your time and potential, Zero. What your brother wants you to do is abandon Death City and train under one of his most trusted allies."

"What the fuck ar-"

"You're to meet this person in the Crimson Castle. Ring a bell?" Melanie's face looked like it could have cracked straight in the middle as the smile widened fully.

"But how-"

"Crimson Castle. _Alone_. If you can't help him, Zero, you'll die along with the rest of these vermin. I think that's all I have to say. I really hope you see you rule alongside your brother..."

Zero turned on his heel and the door opened. He walked right past Professors Taylor and Briggs, tightening his grip on the padded straps of his bag, heading back up to the school.

/ / / / /

"Claudia."

The woman jumped at the sound of her name. She knew what was coming. The tone of his voice suggested he was in a good mood, but she couldn't be sure.

"Look at me, Claudia." Seven stepped forward. He knew she was too terrified and weak to try to do anything, which is why he hadn't tied her down. He curled his hands around her forearms gently. Claudia lifted her gaze to his face and immediately regretted it. Seven's eyes betrayed the anger that was simmering just below the small smile he wore.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions before I kill you." He slowly pulled his favorite knife from his jeans and pressed it flat against her left arm. The blade was almost as cold as his hands. Claudia couldn't do anything but stare wide-eyed at him and nod.

_**Gehenna, your brother seems to be on the move. Melanie has done her job. Shall I proceed?**_ The cat slunk in the room through the door once again, tail swaying lazily in the air. A wide smile spread on Seven's face. "Please do." He looked at Claudia and snatched the knife up. "Looks like the questions have been answered already!"

Everything seemed effortless. The plunging of the knife through flesh and tissue. The blood. The screaming. He loved it, sure, but one question always managed to stay in some small corner of his mind: _why?_

Somewhere in Death City, a piercing sound between a scream and a laugh echoed against the cold stone of the dungeons underneath the Death Weapon Meister Academy, spraying a certain pair of teachers with warm blood that was a forbidden comfort from the frigid air around them.


	14. Mommy Troubles

**i just now realized that in previous chapters, i typed HANSEN instead of HANSON and that makes me feel dumb, but yeah it's 'o' not 'e'. oops.**

* * *

Zero had his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He didn't know where he was, but he could barely sense the presence of his Meister's soul._ Feels like she's upset,_ he thought, frowning to himself,_ and I'm just gonna pop outta fuckin' nowhere and probably make her feel worse..._ He sighed angrily and stopped in front of a two-story house. It was quite old, brown wood fading in some places._ I don't even need to search for her Wavelength, it already feels like she's around._ Zero almost smiled. Twist certainly did have quite a... presence.

"What in Death's name are you doin' here?"

He turned and was immediately pinned down by Evelyn Hansen's green-eyed gaze.

"I, uh, came by to-"

"No, you were just _leavin_'." Ms. Hansen looked incredibly intimidating then, silently warning the boy not to try anything. But Zero was nothing if not a bit stubborn.

"I have to talk to Twist."

"Oh really?" Evelyn put a hand on her hip, "What about?"

"I can't say, but she's in dange-"

"Damn right she's in danger, and it's because of _you!_"

Zero's hands twitched instinctively as the woman took a few steps closer, invading his personal bubble with her now furious presence.

"You think I don't know what's goin' on? I won't let you put my daughter in any more danger, you hear? She's fine without you."

He clenched his teeth together._ Don't do anything stupid, don't do anything stupid..._ "Ms. Hanson, I understand that you feel like you can protect her b-"

"I'm her _mother_, dammit, I'll protect her from the hands of the Devil _himself_ if I have to!" The woman screeched. A fist came flying towards his face and he found himself sliding sideways down the street.

"Momma!"

Twist stood at the end of the short driveway, staring wide-eyed at her mother. Evelyn was panting, looking half crazed.

"Go back inside, honey." She tried soothing her daughter, but Twist yanked on her aviator goggles (something Zero had yet to witness until then).

"Momma, I'm not some helpless kid anymore. I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure as hell not gonna let you punch my Weapon around!" Twist stood with her fists clenched and a frown deeply set on her face. Evelyn let out a laugh, making her daughter flinch.

"You're thinkin' about taking me on, Theo?"

Twist took a deep breath, raising her chin up defiantly. "Yeah."

Her mother looked at her and Zero, who was brushing dust off of his sleeves. She narrowed her eyes. "Theo, when are you gonna get it through that head of yours that this boy's no good?"

"Does it look like I give a damn?"

"Don't tell me you don't sense it, Theodora!" Evelyn yelled, stung by her daughter's words. "His soul isn't right, it's too dark to harbor any purity!"

"And what has he done, Momma?!" Twist stomped a foot down, voice rising with anger.

"He ate a human soul!"

Silence followed the older woman's words. Evelyn was wiping at her eyes, Twist stood very still, and Zero's body suddenly turned icy.

"No!" Twist ran at her mother and swung her leg out hard, landing her heavy boot against Evelyn's ribs. Her mother went down, but quickly put both hands on the ground and spun around, knocking Twist off of her feet.

"Theodora Jade Hanson, are you _really_ going to fight _me_?" Her mother looked stung and angered, but she had a small smirk pulling at her lips.

Twist stood, conflicted. "I don't wanna fight, Momma, but Zero's my Weapon and I'm his Meister. Aren't _you_ the one who taught me the importance of the bond between Weapon and Meister?"

"Honey, this is _different!_" Evelyn took a step closer.

"No, it's not! If Zero needs help, if he's in trouble, I'm gonna be the one to give it my all and help him and he'd do the same to me! I don't give a damn about what he has or hasn't done! We're a team, and like it or not, we're pretty much fuckin' stuck together. Don't try to make me do what _you_ did, Momma._ I'm not gonna abandon my Weapon, no matter what!_"

Twist went over to her partner and silently held out her hand. _Geez, this is just like in the movies..._ He couldn't help but smile. As their hands touched, he transformed. Twist held him firmly, facing her mother.

"I'm gonna have to use force, Theo." Instantly, the air around the woman shifted. Just like their first (and last) training session with Professor Taylor, Evelyn's soul appeared around her. A pale green soul, wisps of energy flowing up in small circular clumps.

"I'm not gonna back down; not after you're getting so serious." Despite the situation she found herself thrust in, Twist smirked, exuding a strange confidence that Zero could feel without sensing her Wavelength.

"Okay, then, baby, we'll fight, but I have one condition." Evelyn smiled.

"And?" Twist's grip tightened.

"If I win, you forget about the boy you're holding right now." Mother and daughter stared each other down for a few seconds. "And if _you_ win," Evelyn looked as though the second option would never happen, "I'll let you run off with him without further interference."

"Huh," Twist looked anything but amused. "You're making it sound like I wanna run off with Z to get married."

"You never know, right?"

Twist scoffed and rushed at her mother, the older woman side-stepped easily and rammed an elbow between Twist's shoulder blades. Just as Twist fell, an arrow landed between the women.

* * *

**cliiiiiiffhanger.**


End file.
